Towards an Ubuntu University: African Higher Education Reimagined

This book explores the argument to reconsider the idea of a university in light of the African ethic of Ubuntu, which emphasizes human dignity and interdependence. It discusses how global universities have evolved into institutions concerned with knowledge (re)production for various end purposes, and questions whether an Ubuntu university is different from other types of universities. The book argues that an Ubuntu university can enhance a university's capacity for autonomy, responsibility, and criticality through the promotion of emotivism in the forms of dignity and humaneness.

Format: Hardback
Length: 197 pages
Publication date: 20 April 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This captivating book delves into the compelling argument to reevaluate the concept of a university in the light of the African ethic of ubuntu, which encompasses the notions of human dignity and interdependence. Through the lens of higher education discourse, particularly in philosophy and comparative education, the book explores how global universities have transformed into institutions primarily focused on the (re)production of knowledge for diverse purposes, ranging from individual autonomy to public accountability and serving the interests of the economy and markets.

A pertinent question arises: What distinguishes an ubuntu university from an entrepreneurial university, a thinking university, and an ecological university? While these different interpretations highlight the epistemological and moral imperatives of universities in relation to themselves and the societies they inhabit, it is through the lens of ubuntu that the expression of emotivism, in the forms of dignity and humaneness, can enhance a university's capacity for autonomy, responsibility, and criticality.

This book holds immense academic value for university educators and students engaged in the fields of philosophy of education, comparative education, and cultural studies. It offers a profound exploration of the transformative potential of ubuntu in shaping the future of higher education, fostering a more inclusive and ethical approach to knowledge creation and dissemination.

Weight: 416g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031064531
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023